Largest-ever oil-spill health study needs volunteers

Published: Monday, July 23, 2012 at 8:31 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, July 23, 2012 at 8:31 a.m.

Nearly 25,000 oil-spill cleanup workers have already signed up for what's being called the largest-ever study into the long-term health effects of the 2010 Gulf oil spill.

Facts

Want to help?

To participate in the Gulf Long-term Followup study, call the toll-free number, 1-855-644-4853, or visit the study website, nihgulfstudy.org.

Scientists hope to get 15,000 more former oil-spill workers to volunteer before the end of the year.

But finding them has proved difficult, as many have moved and changed phone numbers, said Dr. Dale Sandler, chief of the epidemiology branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The $30 million Gulf Long-term Followup study, nicknamed the GuLF study, will focus on workers' exposure to chemicals, track illnesses and examine lifestyle and seafood-consumption habits.

The study aims to be one of the largest and most ambitious studies examining the health impacts of oil spills. It aims to track tens of thousands of spill workers for as long as 10 years to see what long-term health problems might follow workers exposed to oil and dispersant.

It focuses on spill workers because they would have had the highest exposure, Sandler said.

Scientists with the National Institutes of Health began recruiting workers for the study less than a year after the spill in March 2011.

Sandler said it's too early to say if workers are suffering any health effects directly tied to the spill. But there are many people, both those who worked on the spill and those who lived on the Gulf Coast near the spill, who are still worried about health impacts from exposure to oil and dispersants.

There are also many people who have been out of work since the spill and are suffering the stress-related health impacts related to that. They may be having trouble paying bills and getting needed medical care, she said.

“Whether it's the spill or the something happening in the community, there are people who have needs that aren't being met,” Sandler said. “Our study will shed some light on that.”

Sandler said the study aims to mainly focus on workers living in Gulf states, and they're reaching out to residents like current oil field workers who may have participated in the spill response and their families.

“We are recruiting workers who had anything to do with cleaning up the spill,” Sandler said, from collecting with oily boom and tar balls to working in food service.

The hope is to draw participants from a variety of jobs and experiences so researchers can figure out how to better protect workers during future spills.

Participants must be at least 21 years old and have done oil spill cleanup for at least one day or supported the cleanup effort in some way.

“We want to assess any current health-care concerns and follow people into the future to get a sense of the long-term concerns,” Sandler said.

Volunteers will take a phone survey detailing their oil-spill work, health, lifestyle and job history. Some volunteers will also be asked to participate in an in-home exam with periodic follow-ups from researchers. Researchers will collect blood samples and additional medical information. After the exam, participants receive a gift card worth $50.

All of the medical and personal information collected will be kept private and confidential, Sandler said. If a person involved in the study wants to request personal results for a spill-related health claim, researchers will provide it. But federal law prevents them from sharing that information with anyone else.

Sharon Guathe, director of BISCO, a community nonprofit group that has worked with bayou residents since the spill, said she knows a lot of people may be frustrated by the numerous studies into the spill. But the work is important to create a clear and scientifically sound picture of what is happening to people after the spill.

Having evidence that something is wrong will also make it easier for people to get help, Gauthe added.

“There are a whole lot of different studies going on right now, and it is understandable that people get frustrated and think nothing will come of it. But we can only benefit in the future from being involved,” she said. “Each one has a different purpose.”

Gauthe said BISCO is helping to sign up workers for another study that's looking at the training workers received before the spill. That study aims to find out if the training was adequate, and if not, what should be done in the future.

To participate in that study, contact Gauthe at 227-9042 or by email at mybisco@yahoo.com.

<p>Nearly 25,000 oil-spill cleanup workers have already signed up for what's being called the largest-ever study into the long-term health effects of the 2010 Gulf oil spill. </p><p>Scientists hope to get 15,000 more former oil-spill workers to volunteer before the end of the year.</p><p>But finding them has proved difficult, as many have moved and changed phone numbers, said Dr. Dale Sandler, chief of the epidemiology branch at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.</p><p>The $30 million Gulf Long-term Followup study, nicknamed the GuLF study, will focus on workers' exposure to chemicals, track illnesses and examine lifestyle and seafood-consumption habits. </p><p>The study aims to be one of the largest and most ambitious studies examining the health impacts of oil spills. It aims to track tens of thousands of spill workers for as long as 10 years to see what long-term health problems might follow workers exposed to oil and dispersant.</p><p>It focuses on spill workers because they would have had the highest exposure, Sandler said.</p><p>Scientists with the National Institutes of Health began recruiting workers for the study less than a year after the spill in March 2011.</p><p>Sandler said it's too early to say if workers are suffering any health effects directly tied to the spill. But there are many people, both those who worked on the spill and those who lived on the Gulf Coast near the spill, who are still worried about health impacts from exposure to oil and dispersants.</p><p>There are also many people who have been out of work since the spill and are suffering the stress-related health impacts related to that. They may be having trouble paying bills and getting needed medical care, she said.</p><p>“Whether it's the spill or the something happening in the community, there are people who have needs that aren't being met,” Sandler said. “Our study will shed some light on that.”</p><p>Sandler said the study aims to mainly focus on workers living in Gulf states, and they're reaching out to residents like current oil field workers who may have participated in the spill response and their families.</p><p>“We are recruiting workers who had anything to do with cleaning up the spill,” Sandler said, from collecting with oily boom and tar balls to working in food service.</p><p>The hope is to draw participants from a variety of jobs and experiences so researchers can figure out how to better protect workers during future spills.</p><p>Participants must be at least 21 years old and have done oil spill cleanup for at least one day or supported the cleanup effort in some way.</p><p>“We want to assess any current health-care concerns and follow people into the future to get a sense of the long-term concerns,” Sandler said.</p><p>Volunteers will take a phone survey detailing their oil-spill work, health, lifestyle and job history. Some volunteers will also be asked to participate in an in-home exam with periodic follow-ups from researchers. Researchers will collect blood samples and additional medical information. After the exam, participants receive a gift card worth $50.</p><p>All of the medical and personal information collected will be kept private and confidential, Sandler said. If a person involved in the study wants to request personal results for a spill-related health claim, researchers will provide it. But federal law prevents them from sharing that information with anyone else.</p><p>Sharon Guathe, director of BISCO, a community nonprofit group that has worked with bayou residents since the spill, said she knows a lot of people may be frustrated by the numerous studies into the spill. But the work is important to create a clear and scientifically sound picture of what is happening to people after the spill.</p><p>Having evidence that something is wrong will also make it easier for people to get help, Gauthe added.</p><p>“There are a whole lot of different studies going on right now, and it is understandable that people get frustrated and think nothing will come of it. But we can only benefit in the future from being involved,” she said. “Each one has a different purpose.”</p><p>Gauthe said BISCO is helping to sign up workers for another study that's looking at the training workers received before the spill. That study aims to find out if the training was adequate, and if not, what should be done in the future.</p><p>To participate in that study, contact Gauthe at 227-9042 or by email at mybisco@yahoo.com.</p><p>Staff Writer Nikki Buskey can be reached at 857-2205 or </p><p>nicole.buskey@houmatoday.com.</p>